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Nebraska couple appear in court in cat bong case

May 19, 2009 | 4:28
pm

Acea Schomaker, the 20-year-old Nebraska man cited for misdemeanor animal cruelty in March for allegedly placing a cat inside a homemade bong and exposing it to marijuana smoke, appeared in court for a second time today.

A June 30 hearing was set for Schomaker; the hearing will determine if his case will go to trial, according to Nebraska's KOLN/KGIN news. Schomaker's 22-year-old girlfriend, Marissa Vieux, also faces animal cruelty charges and appeared in court today. A June 8 jury trial date was set for Vieux.

Vieux says she adopted Shadow from friends who had abused her. Apparently the traumatized cat came with behavior problems, and Schomaker claims he only placed her in the bong to soothe her. "Every time we took her out she would pretty much just lay down and proceed to clean herself and act like a stoned person," he has said.

Shadow was seized from the couple and taken to a local humane society.

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Shadow after being rescued by Lancaster County Sheriff's deputies. She was reportedly dazed but in good condition when she arrived at a local humane society. Credit: Associated Press.